Install Google Chrome on Ubuntu [Beginner’s Tutorial]

Google Chrome is the world’s most popular web browser. It is fast, secure and full of features to give you the best browsing experience.

Firefox has improved a lot lately and is a better choice specially from the privacy point of view. However, if you are an ardent fan of Google Chrome, I won’t force you to ditch Chrome and move to Firefox.

Google Chrome is not an open source and if you try to install Google Chrome from Ubuntu Software Center, you won’t find it there. It will probably suggest installing Chromium (the open source project Chrome is derived from). Chromium is similar to Chrome but it’s still not the real Google Chrome.

Then how do you install Google Chrome on Ubuntu? The simple answer is that you download it from their website.

Installing Google Chrome on Ubuntu Graphically [Method 1]

If you are absolutely new to Ubuntu and Linux, this could be overwhelming for you and I completely understand that. This is why I am going to list each step with proper screenshots here.

You should keep in mind that Google Chrome is not available for 32-bit operating systems. You should make sure that you are using a 64-bit operating system. Read this article to find out if your system is 32-bit or 64-bit.

When you click the download button, it gives two options for downloading files. You have to download the .deb file which is suitable for Ubuntu.

Download the DEB file

In the next screen, you should opt for saving the file to the computer instead of opening it in software center for installation.

If you don’t do that and there were some issues from the software center, you’ll have to download the deb file again. It’s better to download and save the file itself.

Save the DEB file on your computer

Your downloaded deb file should be in the Downloads folder. Installing deb files is super easy. Go to this folder and double click on the deb file. You can think of these deb files as those exe files in Windows.

Double click on the downloaded DEB file

It will then open Ubuntu’s software center and you should see an option for installing Google Chrome now. Hit on the install button.

Click Install button

It will ask for your password before starting the installation. You should enter your account’s password. It should take less than a minute for completing the Google Chrome installation. You should see a remove option now which indicates that the software is installed.

Google Chrome installation finished

Once you have installed Chrome on Ubuntu, you can search for it in the menu. Simply press the Windows key and start typing chrome. Here are some other Ubuntu shortcuts you should know.

Search for Chrome in the menu

Click on this Chrome icon to start using Google Chrome.

Enjoy Google Chrome on Ubuntu

Install Google Chrome in Ubuntu Terminal [Method 2]

The process you just saw in method 1 can be done in the terminal as well. Many people prefer the GUI way but if you like using the command line, you can install Google Chrome using the terminal.

That’s it. Now you can find Google Chrome in the menu and start it from there.

Few tips about using Google Chrome on Ubuntu

Now that you have installed Google Chrome on Ubuntu 18.04 or some other version, you should know a few tips.

1. Sync Chrome with your Google account

You probably already know this. If you log in to Chrome with Google account (gmail account), it will allow you to sync your bookmarks, history, browser plugins and extensions from other devices where you use Google Chrome with the same Google account.

2. Add Chrome to favorites

If you use Google Chrome frequently, it would be a good idea to add it to your favorites in Ubuntu 18.04 default GNOME version so that you can quickly access it from the launcher on the left side.

Add Google Chrome to favorites for quick access

3. Updating Google Chrome browser

The good thing about Google Chrome is that it adds an additional repository in your sources.list directory.

About Abhishek Prakash

I am a professional software developer, and founder of It's FOSS. I am an avid Linux lover and open source enthusiast. I use Ubuntu and believe in sharing knowledge. Apart from Linux, I love classic detective mysteries. I'm a huge fan of Agatha Christie's work.